Our hearts are working hard day and night , second by second beating all the time, never resting. Over the average lifetime, our hearts beat about 2.5 billion times and our hearts are literally keeping us alive. In fact the number one cause of death among both women and men is heart disease which claims approximately one million lives per year. When we don't take care of our heart, our heart can't take care of our body. It's simple, our heart health is not a luxury, our very own life depends on it.
One great way to take better care of our heart and make sure it stays strong is through running and marathon training. Running is a great form of exercise and one that helps to ensure that our bodies stay healthy. Endurance training is the context in which we can slowly expand our capacity to push ourselves to new limits and reach even greater levels of fitness. In fact according to Dr Baggish the director of Harvard University’s Cardiac Performance Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, how much a person can exercise is actually the single most important predictor for longevity and quality of life. Dr. Paul Williams, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, conducted the largest study ever of runners’ health, involving more than 113,000 recreational runners, more than 45,000 of whom were marathoners. He discovered that runners who exceed government recommendations for aerobic exercise of 75 minutes per week have a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 40 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure. Dr. Williams' studies have shown that endurance running can reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, glaucoma, diabetes and other diseases by as much as 70% above the benefits of merely meeting Federal guidelines for minimal exercise. In fact according to Dr Williams, there is no gene or drug discovery that comes close to the effects of marathon training.
Running and marathon training not only strengthen our heart physically but they also strengthen our heart spiritually. Our heart is the place where our decisions are made, it's the center of our free will. Our hearts sit between our mind, that guides us towards what is right, and our bodies that is driven by our lust and base drives. The heart must mediate between these opposite forces and help keep inner peace by making decisions that both sides can live with. The marathon on the other hand is the ultimate test of endurance and determination. Marathon runners must invest tremendous effort and much preparation while overcoming many obstacles in their strenuous journey. Running and marathoning therefore serve as a training ground, where our heart can unite both the mind and body as they work together to reach the finish line and accomplish the impossible, 50,000 continuous steps and 26.2 miles of total grit and intense mental toughness.
So if you want to strengthen your heart consider starting your running training today so you can soon register for your first marathon. It won't be easy and you will push yourself in ways you never imagined, but it just might be the best choice you make and your heart will never be the same.
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